Big Hair, Big Heart, Big Impact
Sep 07, 2023 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
You ask Uso Seumalo to talk about his journey. He smiles. There is a story. To start, he loves Maunaloa, Moloka'i — his home — a tiny, plantation village up in the hills and above the western coast near two big beaches. He talks about being the son of a farmer and how he worked the farm that produces coconut, cocoa, ulu, bananas, taro and kalo. He talks about how much he loves his native island, a paradise with lush, green fields, so far away.
"In the middle of a big, vast land," he says. "Just country and farming. It was simple."
Eventually, Vaai "Uso" Seumalo talks about football. He's a Kansas State senior defensive tackle. He's 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds. He has big hair, a big heart, and a big appetite for tackling opposing quarterbacks. Want to know a player who, when healthy, dominated K-State fall camp? It's the young man with a smile. That smile that sets him apart.
"That smile," K-State head coach Chris Klieman says. "That kid loves to play football, and he's a really good football player."
Eventually, Seumalo talks about his senior year at Moloka'i High School, how he begged his parents, Vaai and Naomi, to let him play football. All of his friends played football. Volleyball was his first love. Then basketball. He earned honorable mention all-state honors in both sports. Seumalo was the biggest kid. Figures that he'd also strap on a helmet.
"I begged my parents from the beginning of summer because they were starting summer workouts," Seumalo says. "I kept telling them, 'Let me go out. Let me go out.' I told them, 'I promise I'll work on the farm more after practice.'
"They finally said yes. I went out for the team and ended up here, somehow."
Except there's more to the journey. Moloka'i High School played eight-man football. They played their football games on a green field with painted white lines, first-down markers, and a scoreboard with red numerals that sat on the ground. People sat in lawn chairs. Some lounged under tents. But there were cheers, big cheers whenever Seumalo touched the football. He played some quarterback and tight end in addition to being a disruptive defensive standout.
"It was like backyard football," Seumalo says. "I was just trying to have fun."
He earned first team all-conference honors and was selected to play in the All-Hawai'i Bowl.
One day, he received a phone call from K-State defensive tackles coach Mike Tuiasosopo. He asked Seumalo why nobody was recruiting him.
"Coach," Seumalo said, "I don't know how to play real football. I'm just out there playing."
Seumalo ended up traveling to Garden City Community College. There he would learn 11-man football. There he would listen and learn and become a defensive tackle. And he did. He became better. A lot better. He was rated the 31st-best overall community-college prospect in the Class of 2022 and the second-best at defensive tackle by ESPN. He had 47 tackles and five sacks over his two seasons with the Broncbusters.
Seumalo and Tuiasosopo stayed in touch. K-State offered him a scholarship in August 2021. He also received offers from UNLV, Jackson State, Akron and Incarnate Word.
"Uso wasn't a starter at Garden City, and I'm sure people thought we were crazy in talking to a guy who wasn't even a starter," Tuiasosopo said, "but I watched Uso in high school and he had unbelievable tape."
K-State recruiting director Taylor Braet and the coaching staff welcomed Seumalo to Manhattan.
Seumalo committed to K-State in November 2021.
"Coach Tui helped me a lot," Seumalo says. "He came out to see me at Garden City. I came up here and got an offer and I knew right away."
He knew right away that he would become a Wildcat. And so he became the first Moloka'i Farmer to earn a Division I scholarship. And so he became the first Wildcat from the state of Hawai'i since Peni Holakeituai and Jesse Keaulana-Kamakea in 2003. And so his dream of one day playing in the NFL blossomed.
"The journey has been amazing," he says. "As much as I hate running and conditioning, I don't regret any decision to be here."
Last season, he saw time in every game as a reserve defensive tackle. He had five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and two pass breakups for the Wildcats. He had a season-high two tackles and one tackle for loss against South Dakota and recorded another tackle for loss against Missouri the following week. He also knocked down a pair of passes late in the game at Oklahoma to help preserve the victory.
"When we brought him in here, it's like a lot of guys in their first year from junior college, it's difficult because it's a huge transition," Klieman says. "He struggled a little bit to start, but we hung with him and he hung with us, and he got better and better as the season went along."
A big key? How he learned under sixth-year senior Eli Huggins, a standout defensive tackle who helped Seumalo grow as both a player and as a person.
"Eli was a big mentor," Seumalo says. "I'm just trying to do the best I can."
Seumalo went home to Maunaloa after K-State faced No. 5 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. He ballooned to 365 pounds. He returned to Manhattan and dropped 35 pounds to regain shape, learning discipline like never before.
"He hasn't been in better shape than he is right now," Tuiasosopo says.
Seumalo proved as much during fall camp.
Klieman said: "Very strong and explosive, and he's understanding what we're doing defensively, so he's playing really fast."
K-State assistant head coach Van Malone said: "Uso can block out the sun, and he's going to be a very good player for us."
Tuiasosopo said: "He's been unbelievable since the bowl game."
Then Seumalo got rolled up on in practice and injured his leg. He sat out a couple of weeks to rehabilitate the injury. He was questionable for the Wildcats' season opener against Southeast Missouri last Saturday. But he was cleared to play. And he did a celebration dance following his first-career sack, drawing applause from teammates and social media.
"It was a little shuffle, something big boys like to do," he says. "I thought it fit the moment."
And there will be more moments to come. His next opportunity will arrive when No. 15 K-State, 1-0, faces Troy, 1-0, in Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"We're taught if it's a one-on-one block," he says, "we should never lose. I don't take anything lightly."
For as destructive as Seumalo is to opposing offenses, he's as friendly as they come off the field.
"The first thing I remember about Uso was just a big, big Hawaiian dude that loves to smile at you and always wants to crack jokes," senior strong safety Kobe Savage says. "But it's something special to know you have a pass rusher that's at nose guard who's going to cause havoc."
While Seumalo retraces his steps to Manhattan, thoughts trail back home to Maunaloa, the life he left behind, and the life he lives today.
"It's an honor to represent where I'm from and my school and the people who helped me grow to who I am today," he says. "I'm grateful and thankful for everybody who got me here. I mean, I'm just trying my best to represent where I'm from as best as I can."
From lush, green fields to Big 12 Conference turf, Seumalo feels at home.
"I'm honored to be here," he says.
And he smiles.
You ask Uso Seumalo to talk about his journey. He smiles. There is a story. To start, he loves Maunaloa, Moloka'i — his home — a tiny, plantation village up in the hills and above the western coast near two big beaches. He talks about being the son of a farmer and how he worked the farm that produces coconut, cocoa, ulu, bananas, taro and kalo. He talks about how much he loves his native island, a paradise with lush, green fields, so far away.
"In the middle of a big, vast land," he says. "Just country and farming. It was simple."
Eventually, Vaai "Uso" Seumalo talks about football. He's a Kansas State senior defensive tackle. He's 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds. He has big hair, a big heart, and a big appetite for tackling opposing quarterbacks. Want to know a player who, when healthy, dominated K-State fall camp? It's the young man with a smile. That smile that sets him apart.
"That smile," K-State head coach Chris Klieman says. "That kid loves to play football, and he's a really good football player."
Eventually, Seumalo talks about his senior year at Moloka'i High School, how he begged his parents, Vaai and Naomi, to let him play football. All of his friends played football. Volleyball was his first love. Then basketball. He earned honorable mention all-state honors in both sports. Seumalo was the biggest kid. Figures that he'd also strap on a helmet.
"I begged my parents from the beginning of summer because they were starting summer workouts," Seumalo says. "I kept telling them, 'Let me go out. Let me go out.' I told them, 'I promise I'll work on the farm more after practice.'
"They finally said yes. I went out for the team and ended up here, somehow."
Except there's more to the journey. Moloka'i High School played eight-man football. They played their football games on a green field with painted white lines, first-down markers, and a scoreboard with red numerals that sat on the ground. People sat in lawn chairs. Some lounged under tents. But there were cheers, big cheers whenever Seumalo touched the football. He played some quarterback and tight end in addition to being a disruptive defensive standout.
"It was like backyard football," Seumalo says. "I was just trying to have fun."
He earned first team all-conference honors and was selected to play in the All-Hawai'i Bowl.
One day, he received a phone call from K-State defensive tackles coach Mike Tuiasosopo. He asked Seumalo why nobody was recruiting him.
"Coach," Seumalo said, "I don't know how to play real football. I'm just out there playing."
Seumalo ended up traveling to Garden City Community College. There he would learn 11-man football. There he would listen and learn and become a defensive tackle. And he did. He became better. A lot better. He was rated the 31st-best overall community-college prospect in the Class of 2022 and the second-best at defensive tackle by ESPN. He had 47 tackles and five sacks over his two seasons with the Broncbusters.
Seumalo and Tuiasosopo stayed in touch. K-State offered him a scholarship in August 2021. He also received offers from UNLV, Jackson State, Akron and Incarnate Word.
"Uso wasn't a starter at Garden City, and I'm sure people thought we were crazy in talking to a guy who wasn't even a starter," Tuiasosopo said, "but I watched Uso in high school and he had unbelievable tape."
K-State recruiting director Taylor Braet and the coaching staff welcomed Seumalo to Manhattan.
Seumalo committed to K-State in November 2021.
"Coach Tui helped me a lot," Seumalo says. "He came out to see me at Garden City. I came up here and got an offer and I knew right away."
He knew right away that he would become a Wildcat. And so he became the first Moloka'i Farmer to earn a Division I scholarship. And so he became the first Wildcat from the state of Hawai'i since Peni Holakeituai and Jesse Keaulana-Kamakea in 2003. And so his dream of one day playing in the NFL blossomed.
"The journey has been amazing," he says. "As much as I hate running and conditioning, I don't regret any decision to be here."
Last season, he saw time in every game as a reserve defensive tackle. He had five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and two pass breakups for the Wildcats. He had a season-high two tackles and one tackle for loss against South Dakota and recorded another tackle for loss against Missouri the following week. He also knocked down a pair of passes late in the game at Oklahoma to help preserve the victory.
"When we brought him in here, it's like a lot of guys in their first year from junior college, it's difficult because it's a huge transition," Klieman says. "He struggled a little bit to start, but we hung with him and he hung with us, and he got better and better as the season went along."
A big key? How he learned under sixth-year senior Eli Huggins, a standout defensive tackle who helped Seumalo grow as both a player and as a person.
"Eli was a big mentor," Seumalo says. "I'm just trying to do the best I can."
Seumalo went home to Maunaloa after K-State faced No. 5 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. He ballooned to 365 pounds. He returned to Manhattan and dropped 35 pounds to regain shape, learning discipline like never before.
"He hasn't been in better shape than he is right now," Tuiasosopo says.
Seumalo proved as much during fall camp.
Klieman said: "Very strong and explosive, and he's understanding what we're doing defensively, so he's playing really fast."
K-State assistant head coach Van Malone said: "Uso can block out the sun, and he's going to be a very good player for us."
Tuiasosopo said: "He's been unbelievable since the bowl game."
Then Seumalo got rolled up on in practice and injured his leg. He sat out a couple of weeks to rehabilitate the injury. He was questionable for the Wildcats' season opener against Southeast Missouri last Saturday. But he was cleared to play. And he did a celebration dance following his first-career sack, drawing applause from teammates and social media.
"It was a little shuffle, something big boys like to do," he says. "I thought it fit the moment."
And there will be more moments to come. His next opportunity will arrive when No. 15 K-State, 1-0, faces Troy, 1-0, in Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"We're taught if it's a one-on-one block," he says, "we should never lose. I don't take anything lightly."
For as destructive as Seumalo is to opposing offenses, he's as friendly as they come off the field.
"The first thing I remember about Uso was just a big, big Hawaiian dude that loves to smile at you and always wants to crack jokes," senior strong safety Kobe Savage says. "But it's something special to know you have a pass rusher that's at nose guard who's going to cause havoc."
While Seumalo retraces his steps to Manhattan, thoughts trail back home to Maunaloa, the life he left behind, and the life he lives today.
"It's an honor to represent where I'm from and my school and the people who helped me grow to who I am today," he says. "I'm grateful and thankful for everybody who got me here. I mean, I'm just trying my best to represent where I'm from as best as I can."
From lush, green fields to Big 12 Conference turf, Seumalo feels at home.
"I'm honored to be here," he says.
And he smiles.
Players Mentioned
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K-State Women's Basketball | Tess Heal Senior Video
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K-State Women's Basketball | Mikayla Parks Senior Video
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K-State Women's Basketball | Senior Night Ceremony 2025 - 2026 Season
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